The sun is shining somewhere...

It's overcast today, but I know that sun is up there shining brightly, probably smiling. I just read a most revealing statement on a health website. "Vitamin D is increasingly viewed as important." Really? Vitamin D important? It is amazing to me how bureaucrats, corporate and government gurus and "expert" medical personnel have changed their minds over the years about what is "good" for us. A point in case is calcium. I watched with amusement as their opinion as to the "appropriate" amount morphed over time; quietly increasing in size like my fikus tree until the recommended daily amount was many times more than their original claim.
The same holds true for most vitamins/minerals. Now vitamin D is in the limelight. It's somewhat gratifying to see the "professionals" up their ante. It's now up to 400 IU for under 70 years of age and 600 IU for 70+ years. Other health professionals suggest more, which is what I recommend: 1000 IU for under 60 years and 1200 IU for 60+ years. Vitamin D works in tandem with calcium to keep our bones healthy and also fights inflammation. My herb teacher (hi Kayla) taught us that inflammation is the root of all health evil, so the more we can do to keep it under control, the fewer complaints we'll have and the quicker we can move to hit the snooze button in the mornings.

Now, back to the sun. A sister herb student, who was also a nurse, has a habit I fell in love with. Every day, rain or shine, she spends some time outside. In the sun. Whether you can see the sun or not, it's there. It's like a Christmas present. You see the box, you can't see the gift, but you know it's there. I recommend 20 minutes a day. Every day. Not opening presents (unless you're very fortunate), sitting in the sun. Whether it's shining above or below the clouds. Now, I won't pretend to know how may IUs you get when you spend time in the great outdoors, but you get some. And, who knows, you may end up with warm fuzzy feelings for nature.

Who said this: "The truth is like the sun. You can shut it our for a time, but it ain't goin' away."

Dawn

DSL is over...yahoo. Being a lark, a person who is highly functional from dawn 'till noon, as opposed to my husband, the owl, who doesn't reach his stride until afternoon and can forge ahead 'till midnight, I love that extra hour of daylight in the mornings. Although, much to my family's delight in teasing me, I have a little...ok, a lot, of trouble with the fall back and spring forward theory. Apparently, time is malleable. Which is great with me. I can bend it to my own purposes and have time for everything!

Since the days are darker and colder, are you feeling a little blue? With a family member who suffers from SAD, I am very conscious of the effect the sunlight has on your body and emotions. Seasonal changes and added stress can weaken your immune system You are getting less vitamin D from the sun so you may need to beef up with a supplement. Be sure to get D3. You need HEAT so cook your foods longer by baking and roasting. Don't be afraid of PEPPERS added to your food. My mom always kept a bottle of peppers in vinegar on the table with the salt and pepper. Contrary to popular belief, hot peppers are very good for you. And, eat thicker soups such as pumpkin, pea and potato. My daughter-in-law just made potato soup the other evening and it tasted so good--just right for these chilly evenings. Be sure to check mywebsite for good nutritous winter receipes.

A lot of you already visit my website, http://GBHfarm.com. I'm an herbalist and on my website I have a lot of herbal info and products. In this new Green Blessings Blog I will write about all the glorious green things out there and, all those blessings lurking in places you forget to look. Blessings like your heart beat and how you can slow it down to a resting heart rate that will make your doctor smile. Green things like the horseradish growing with wild abandon in my garden that always makes me think of my grandpa Henry and all about my new lavender bed my husband Gary made for me. I love my website (and am pretty crazy about the webmaster, too), but let's face it: I'm a writer and I love to write. Some would say ramble. And, some of you out there love to read. My clients and customers always want MORE... so here you go!

The GBHfarm.com is replacing greenblessingsherbal.com. And, just in case the reason is not obvious -- it's shorter and easier to remember. You can get there with either name, but we hope the new and improved version will get you there quicker. The site slid into the abyss a few weeks ago and my aforementioned webmaster has been working furiously to re-post all the information. As often happens when original work is lost, the new is BETTER. So many things are so much improved, if I wasn't sure the webmaster would strangle me, I'd say I'm (almost) glad it crashed! Navigation in the site is easier, and the shopping cart is fabulous. Have a look and let me know what you think.